1. No category

June 2010㩷
By Stephanie Smith
Photos: Bob Schnyder
WWW.JETAAPORTLAND.COM Iron Chef 2010
㩷
Competition
goes
inter-chapter;
PNWJETAA Victorious!㩷
Inside This Issue:
㩷
㩷
Letter from the Editor. . . . . . . . 2
Meet the New Officers/Chairs. .2-3
News from the Consulate . . . . . 3
SakeOne Spring Blessing . . . . . 4
Mogo Mogo Onomatopoeia. . . . . .4
Jorinji Miso of Portland . . . . . . . 5
The Only Woman in the Room . 6
Hanamikai Celebration . . . . .
7
What the Bunka?! Sakana . . . . 8
Tabemashou! Maki. . . . . . . . . . . 9
Yuck! Odd Food Survey . . . . . . .10
Life After the B.O.E . . . . . . . . . .10
Iron Chef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Iron Chef Competition Recipe. . 11
Upcoming Events. . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Join us for the Annual
Sayonara BBQ
㩷
Saturday, July 17th
@Stephanie & Scott Smith’s
(see website for address)
1-5PM
Enjoy burgers and hotdogs,
drinks and dessert with other
alum and see off our new JETs
from Portland!㩷
8th Annual Iron Chef Competition – JETAA Portland vs. PNWJETAA!
A sunny Saturday was our setting for the 8th annual Iron Chef. This year’s
fanfare wasn’t just any old city-wide culinary competition. In addition to our
regular competition, this year we stepped up our game by adding a secret ingredient competition to challenge the Pacific Northwest JETAA Chapter.
Veteran Yakitori chef, Mark Olenich, set up his yatai and fired up the hibachi
he hand-carried back from Japan in the backyard of Demaree Raveaux, former JETAA officer, who hosted the event along with her boyfriend A-Key-Kyo
drummer Takehiro Kumazawa and their puppy Maya.
With yakitori smells wafting onto the covered porch, attendees teased their
appetites with edamame, yakisoba, and a variety of nama-biirus while judges
Kuma, Keiko Buckendahl, and Maki Narita-Weisman deliberated over the
delicious feast.
Mark Olenich reigned victorious as Iron Chef Main Dish winner, hands-down.
One dish that made me natsukashii for Okinawan-style pork was the main
dish 2nd place winner, Jordan Weisman who prepared butakakuni. Winner of
the side dish category was Sean Buckendahl, who prepared unagi-gohan, an
amazing chirashi-zushi style dish. Second place winner was newly appointed
JETAA VP, Veronica White, who won with her home-style nikujaga.
After stuffing ourselves like a pig in Hawaii, attendees got to feast on several
outstanding Japanese-inspired desserts. After the judges votes were counted,
Scott Smith, chef of the famed Nagasaki omiyage Casutera, did not receive a
prize this year, even though his cake was devoured. Second place went to Gloria Jung, former JETAA officer, who prepared Macha cupcakes filled with
azuki sweet bean paste and topped with macha icing. Finally, an ookii omedetou is due to this year’s dessert (and largest) category winner, Rachel Johnson, who made the “easy to make” (or so she says) Butter Mochi! She was
even will to share the winning recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ono-Butter-Mochi/Detail.aspx
Thank you to all of this year’s entrants, Iron Chef Judges, and attendees. We
will see you again next year for some more delicious competition!
(Continued on page 11)㩷
Letter from the
Editor -Daniel Mick㩷
This is unfortunately the last
newsletter I will be editing for the
foreseeable future. Work, school,
and other commitments have not
left me enough time to give this
project the time it deserves. I had
a blast serving you the last year!
The newsletter will be continuing
on a quarterly basis but needs a
new editor.
Editing the newsletter has been a
fun creative outlet; introduced me
to numerous Japanese related
events, businesses, associations,
and individuals; and helped me
feel connected to Japan and JET.
I hope those are benefits that one
of you would like also! Contact
Kimberly Miyake if you are interested in being the new editor (it’s
not difficult, and I’ll give my assistance too)
president@jetaaportland.com
Meet the New Officers!
April election means new dedicated officers to serve YOU!㩷
Kimberly Miyake, President
Okayama-ken, 2000-2003
Veronica White, Vice President
Hyogo-ken, 2007-2009
Blood Type: O+
Blood Type: A+
Konbini
snack
you miss most:
Onigiri
Konbini snack
miss most:
Melon-pan
Best thing about
being back:
People don't follow me around the
supermarket asking me what gaijin eat.
Best thing about
being back:
No more hot and humid
summers!
Hardest thing about being back:
Lack of onsen
Hardest thing about
being back:
I miss Japanese food, especially sushi!
What you're doing now:
Enjoying my time off!
What you're doing now:
Job hunting and studying for the JLPT
What you hope to contribute to
JETAA this year:
Get more people involved!㩷
What you hope to contribute to
JETAA this year:
Promote and organize events and encourage more people to get involved.㩷
Interested serving and having fun?
JETAA Portland has three positions
open:
Secretary
Social Chair
Newsletter Editor
Tabemashou! Chair
Contact Kimberly Miyake about
helping out with JETAA Portland!
president@jetaaportland.com㩷
JETAA Portland Contacts㩷
Officers:
President
Vice President
Treasurer
JET Coordinator
Committee Chairs:
Cultural
Community
J-Kaiwa
Sports
Career
Webmaster
Kimberly Miyake
Veronica White
Beth Schnyder
Matt Turner
president@jetaaportland.com
vp@jetaaportland.com
treasurer@jetaaportland.com
culture@cgjpdx.org
Amanda Gray
Stephanie Smith
Vicki Bridges,
Scott Klein
Britt Sexton
Red Gillen
Bob Schnyder
cultural@jetaaportland.com
community@jetaaportland.com
jkaiwa@jetaaportland.com
sports@jetaaportland.com
career@jetaaportland.com
webmaster@jetaaportland.com
The JETAA Portland Newsletter is published by the Portland Chapter of the JET Alumni Association. Information presented and views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the JET Programme, the government of Japan, or any of its entities. For comments and questions please contact the JETAA Portland President.
Please direct newsletter comments and submissions to the JETAA Portland Newsletter Editor. Keep up on all
current JETAA Portland activities and events by visiting the official website at www.jetaaportland.com㩷
䮡䯃䭿 2
you
| jetaaportland.com/newsletter | June 2010
Beth Schnyder, Treasurer
Nagasaki-ken, 1993-1996
Blood Type: A
Konbini
snack
you miss most:
Salmon
onigiri,
Tomato Pretz, hot
honey lemon drink
Best thing about
being back:
Not hearing how I'm so great at using
chopsticks nearly every time I eat.
Hardest thing about being back:
Missing my students and friends and the
celebration of the seasons in Japan
What you're doing now:
Since JET I've worked for several Japanese companies. Currently, I'm home to
raise Claire (5) and Madeline (2).
What you hope to contribute to
JETAA this year:
I enjoy preparing the new JETs for their
adventure in Japan and being involved in
the local Japanese community in PDX.㩷
Meet the New Committee Chairs!
April elections means new dedicated chairs to serve JETAA. Give them your feedback!㩷㩷
Amanda Gray, Cultural Chair
Fukui-ken, 2003-2006
Vicki Bridges, J-Kaiwa Co-Chair
Aichi-ken
Bob Schnyder, Webmaster
Nagasaki-ken, 1993-1996
Blood Type: ??
Konbini snack you
miss most: Konbini
somen, or saba onigiri
with lemon!
Best thing about being
back: More space, no
kanji, closer to family
Hardest thing about being back: More
stress, less vacation/travel to reconnect
with Japanese friends
What you're doing now: Marketing Analyst. (My main role is tradeshow logistics).
What you hope to contribute to JETAA
this year: More community involvement
with Japan affilated organizations in Portland and memorable cultural activities!㩷
Blood Type: O+
Konbini snack you
miss most: Hiyashi
chuka
Best thing about being
back: Being near family
Hardest thing about
being back: Missing
friends in Japan, no ONSEN like there!
What you're doing now: Helping Japanese high school students make it through
a year of school here in Oregon
What you hope to contribute to JETAA
this year: Through J-Kaiwa, I want to
maintain chances to use Japanese so we
don't forget it and continue making Japanese friends and networking.㩷
Blood Type: AB
Konbini snack you miss
most: Late night shiichikin
onigiri and CC Lemon
Best thing about being
back: Mexican food (there
was none where I lived)
Hardest thing about being back: No corn
and mayonnaise pizza.
What you're doing now: I own a strategic
marketing consulting firm focusing on Internet marketing
What you hope to contribute to JETAA
this year: 1) To make the JETAA Portland
website a resource for all members, 2) To
make the Obon party a big success so we
have a large Summer JETAA event.㩷
Stephanie Smith, Community Chair
Aomori-ken, 2003-2006
Scott Klein, J-Kaiwa Co-Chair
Tokyo, 1989-1992 (Friend of JET)
Red Gillen, Career Chair
Nara/Tokyo,89-93/95-9,01-02 (FrofJET)
Blood Type: O+
Konbini snack you
miss most: Doritos (I
know they are American!)
Best thing about being
back: No smoky rooms
Hardest thing about
being back: No onsen
What you're doing now: Married, house
shopping, teaching nihongo
What you hope to contribute to JETAA
this year: To further spread the word
about Japanese cultural events in the area㩷
Blood Type: O+
Konbini snack you miss
most: Shiichikin/Tsuna
onigiri
Best thing about being
back:
The freedom of
driving!
Hardest thing about being back: Missing friends in Japan
What you're doing now: IT business analyst for UPS
What you hope to contribute to JETAA
this year: Broaden participation at JETAA
events, and find a new nijikai spot!
Ideas…?㩷
Blood Type: Red
Konbini snack you miss
most: Ozeki One Cup
Best thing about being
back: All the space. Oh
yeah, and the beer.
Hardest thing about being back: Despite what
everyone says, Portland
needs better Japanese food.
What you're doing now: Senior Analyst at
Celent covering the mobile banking industry
What you hope to contribute to JETAA
this year: Helping members get a little
closer to finding a satisfying job.㩷
Britt Sexton, Sports Chair
Hyogo-ken, 1994-1997
News from the Consulate
Blood Type: Red
Konbini snack you miss
most: Salmon onigiri
Best thing about being
back: All the food I
missed in Japan
Hardest thing about being back: No ofuro or onsen
What you're doing now: Marketing &
Sales for a Japanese Toner Manufacturing
Company
What you hope to contribute to JETAA
this year: Keep JETAA active & fun.
Gambaro!㩷
You’re familiar with the Consulate because of all the work they do supporting
new JETs, for instance, the upcoming Pre-Departure Orientation, Japanese lessons, and Sayonara BBQ. But did you know they also help hold events?
Check out: FUROSHIKI: Boundless curiosity from the world of square-cloth.
Dating back to the Edo Period furoshiki, literally meaning bath mat, is a square cloth
dyed in a striking array of colors and patterns from subtle to vibrant. Originally used to
wrap and carry items, the furoshiki is now used as gift wrappers, table coverings and
decorations. It is the original tote bag, only infinitely more versatile and steeped in rich
history.
This is an intimate lecture and workshop led by Akiko Sakai, Naomi Ando, and
Keiko Fukuda, who are all instructors from the Furoshiki Study Group in Tokyo, Japan. Admission is Free. Space is limited. Reservation is required.
Monday, July 12, 2010, 2pm World Trade Center Portland, Plaza Conference
Room, 121 SW Salmon St., 2WTC Portland, OR 97204
RSVP to culture@cgjpdx.org (Reservations open June 10th)
Sponsored by Portland General Electric Supported by Japan-America Society of Oregon㩷
June 2010
| jetaaportland.com/newsletter |
䮡䯃䭿 3
Spring Kura Blessing at SakeOne
By Veronica White㩷
Annual blessing of the brewery and celebration㩷㩷
rish blessed all four corners of the
kura - north, south, east, and west – by
using a whole bottle of sake to purify
each corner. The ritual ended with a
toast featuring a sake crafted specifically for the Tsubaki Grand Shrine
called Junmai Ginjo Genshu.
SakeOne, the world’s only Americanowned-and-operated sake brewery,
celebrated its annual blessing of the
kura (brewery) with a Shinto ceremony on Saturday, March 27. The
ceremony was presided over by Reverend Koichi Barrish of the Tsubaki
Grand Shrine of America, located in
Granite Falls, Washington.
After the ceremony, guests were invited to tour the inside of the kura
where they could sample a variety of
free sake. Appetizers such as crab
wontons and fried salmon rolls were
provided by the pan-asian restaurant
Sake has long been an important
part of Shinto purification rituals,
and this ceremony was no different.
After leading the audience in a Japanese blessing, Reverend Koichi Bar-
“Mogo Mogo” ࡕࠧࡕࠧ
By Daniel Mick
Japanese Onomatopoeia/Phenomime/Pyschomime㩷
The Japanese language has a unique feature of symbolic words that
represent more than just sounds, as English onomatopoeia does, like,
whizz, bang, pop, etc. Wikipedia classifies these as:
*Phonomime or onomatopoeia (ᡆჿ⺆ giseigo or ᡆ㖸⺆ giongo);
words that mimic actual sounds.
*Phenomime (ᡆᘒ⺆ gitaigo); words that mimic non-auditory senses
*Psychomime (ᡆᘒ⺆ gitaigo or ᡆᖱ⺆㩷 gijōgo); words that represent psychological states or bodily feelings. While onomatopoeic
words abound in every language, phenomimes and psychomimes are
much more rare.
http://www.nihongoresources.com/dictionaries/onomatopoeia.html
㩷
䉄䈠䉄䈠 / 䊜䉸䊜䉸 - sobbing in self-pity / whimper, sniffle
䉌䉖䉌䉖 / 䊤䊮䊤䊮 - intense fiery eyes㩷
㩷
䈚䉆䉍䈚䉆䉍 / 䉲䊞䊥䉲䊞䊥 - tangy taste, crisp feel
䈪䉏䈪䉏 / 䊂䊧䊂䊧 - fawning / a flirt
䈶䈤䈶䈤 / 䊎䉼䊎䉼 - flopping, smacking
䈓䊷䈓䊷 / 䉫䊷䉫䊷 - snoring
䉁䈗䉁䈗 / 䊙䉯䊙䉯 - confused, not knowing what to do
䈱䉐䈱䉐 / 䊉䊨䊉䊨 - slow, sluggish / slowly
㩷
䮡䯃䭿 4
6
| jetaaportland.com/newsletter
JETAA Portland Newsletter | | August
June 2010
2009
Wassabi, located in Hillsboro.
Rounding out the event was a lively
performance by Takohachi Taiko and
a skillful kendo demonstration by
Okuban Kendo.
For those interested in visiting
SakeOne, complimentary kura tours
are available daily at 1, 2, and 3pm.
The sake tasting room is also open
daily from 11am to 5pm. Reservations are available for groups of ten
or more.㩷
By Daniel Mick㩷
Jorinji Miso
Small batch, handmade, non-GMO miso, made right here in Portland!㩷㩷
Add Jorinji Miso to your list of amazing locally made Japanese foods. Earnest and Sumiko Migaki are passionate about their small-batch miso and
the proof is in the product: they have a
delicious range of misos, and their
miso is being carried by a variety or
grocers and is the miso of choice for a
growing number of restaurants.
A third generation Portland born native, Earnest met Sumiko teaching corporate English in Japan. Sumiko and
Earnest received a miso making kit
from a local miso maker as a wedding
present before their return to the US.
Unlike, say, nori or ocha, miso is heavy
and expensive to ship from Japan. So
the Migaki’s were eager to utilize their
kit to make their own quality miso at
home.
The miso maker they received the kit
from was kind enough to reveal his
production methods to them explaining
the process through a tour so they
could best make miso while at home.
They also read a lot of books on making miso.
Their first batch was made in ‘94 as
soon as they moved back. Despite being just “okay”, friends loved it and offered to buy more. They made increasingly more in their free-time until ‘96
when they dedicated themselves to
miso-making. What started out as a
hobby is now the Migaki’s passion.
The owner of Boo Han Oriental Market helped urge Jorinji Miso into larger distribution when the owner asked
if he could distribute the miso. Jorinji
is only distributed locally, but is carried by Uwajimaya, Hiroshi’s Anzen,
Earnest and Sumiko’s greatest desire
is to equip and enable local chefs by
providing high quality products so
Japanese cuisine can be created and
explored. While they don’t have extra
freetime to commit to other projects,
they shared of a vision for a microbusiness community, one that would
share facilities, resources, and ideas
to help each other introduce new
business and product ideas.
Limbo Market, New Seasons Markets, a half-dozen food coops, and is
served at Biwa, TodBotts Triangles,
Ruby Dragon, and Townshends Tea.
Jorinji miso is made solely by Earnest and Sumiko. Production is limited to their handmade efforts, but
they have still doubled their production in 2010 from the year before.
They have considered and continue
to desire expanding their operations
with more automated production
equipment. However, specialty equipment is required and must be
shipped from Japan making it prohibitively expensive. Another barrier
is securing a business loan. A knowledgeable banker must be found that
understands and trusts the process
and potentional of a miso-making
business. Finally, because Jorinji
doesn’t use preservatives there are
restrictions on interstate shipping
because of package expansion.
The back of every Jorinji miso package contains additional homey information ranging from the history of
miso, Japanese language, folklore,
the process of production, health
benefits, traditional advice and wisdom, local pride, company history,
and cooking tips! Below are a couple
cooking tips I liked:
Miso Grilled Eggplant. 3 Japanese eggplants, Olive oil, Miso Paste A (Jōrinji
Miso 2 tbsp, sugar 1 tbsp, sake 1 tbsp).
Mix Miso Paste A well. Slice eggplants in
halves, then poke a fork into the sections
so they grill well. After frying both sides
in olive oil on a frying pan, take them out
and spread the Miso Paste A over the top.
Grill them in an oven toaster for 2~3
minutes until the Miso is baked.
Avocado Miso Soup. One taste is worth a
thousand words. Dice an avocado (serves
2) into bite-sized pieces and add them
into your Miso Soup. Voila! You can add
other ingredients like negi, tofu or wakame in the mix. We’re sure you’ll love it!
Baked Shishito with Cheese. Slice
Shishito into halves, and spread a bit of
Miso onto the sliced sections. (Don’t remove seeds) Place Shishito, cut side-up,
onto an aluminum sheet. Spread cheese
over the top of Shishito, then bake in an
oven toaster for 3-4 minutes until the
cheese is melted. *Shishito is a non-spicy,
small type of green pepper.
June 2010
| jetaaportland.com/newsletter |
䮡䯃䭿 5
By Beth Schnyder㩷
The Only Woman in the Room
How an American Woman Won Equal Rights for the Women of Japan㩷
It was truly an honor for the JETAA
Portland book club to read the “The
Only Woman in the Room,” a memoir
by Beate Sirota Gordon and then attend her lecture presented by The
Center for Japanese Studies at PSU.
Mrs. Gordon is a vibrant and enthusiastic 86 years old and spoke for
nearly two hours sharing the story of
her life, but most importantly, telling
how she wrote the Equal Rights
Clause of Japan’s Constitution when
she was 22 years old. Of the 20
Americans that wrote the Japanese
Constitution, she is the only one still
living. It was a privilege to hear her
story. She is an inspiring woman!
Gordon, an Austrian, grew up in prewar Japan and escaped the war by
going to Mills College, an all-girls
school in California. While in college
she took a job with the Foreign
Broadcast Information Service as the
American version of “Tokyo Rose” intercepting transmissions from the
Japanese. She told us that at the
䮡䯃䭿 6
time there were only 60 Americans
who spoke Japanese. She also worked
for the Office of War Information and
TIME magazine in New York.
As soon as the war ended she appealed
to the Army to allow her to return to
Japan to find her parents, music
teachers who were held prisoner since
they refused to abandon their Japanese students as pre-war tensions
mounted. Hired as a translator for the
Supreme Commander of the Allied
Powers, she was the first civilian
woman to enter post-war Japan.
Directed by General MacArthur, her
unit was given the top secret task of
drafting the Japanese constitution in
seven days. Gordon asked to write the
section devoted to civil rights and
wrote the articles detailing women’s
rights and the right education. These
articles grant today’s Japanese women
the rights of marriage, divorce, voting,
owning property, etc. which did not exist prior to 1946.
| jetaaportland.com/newsletter | June 2010
Mrs. Gordon did not speak publicly of
her contributions for nearly 50 years.
She only began speaking about her
role beginning in 1995 when General
MacArthur was asked about the civil
rights clauses and he told reporters
to “talk to Beate Shirota Gordon”.
After the war she married Joseph
Gordon, who worked with her on the
Constitution, and they moved to New
York. She has spent her life working
to support Asian performing arts. Although little known in the US, she is
highly regarded by Japanese women.
In attendance for the lecture were Consul
General Okabe and his wife along with
Ambassador Tadashi Nagai (former Consul General of Portland 2002-2005).
The JETAA Portland book club meets
once a month to discuss books about Japan or written by Japanese authors. Anyone interested in attending should cont ac t
Kim
M i y ak e
at
pres ident@jetaaportland.com Check out the
JETAA Portland website for upcoming
books titles. We hope you’ll join us!
By Red Gillen
Hanamikai 2010
Attendees treated to tour of memorial plaza by former internee
On April 10th,
the rain kami
took a rest from
their busy Spring
season, allowing
the sun to shine
on this year's
JETAA Portland
Hanamikai.
With the change in the weather, a small group of JETAA
Portland members and their friends got together to enjoy
the view of (blossom-less) cherry trees on Portland's Waterfront Park. Although many of the food items served at
the hanamikai came from the illustrious kitchens at Safeway, Misuzu Uehara did bring along some very popular,
homemade teriyaki chicken.
This year's hanamikai offered more
than just tasty prepackaged food, however! The highlight
was a visit by John
Nakada, of the Oregon Nikkei Legacy
Center. John came
to the hanamikai to
give the group a
tour of the adjacent
Japanese American Historical Plaza, which was built in
dedication to the Japanese-American internment camp
victims of World War II.
John was especially qualified to give the tour as he himself was deported to internment camps as a young boy.
Most hanamikai participants had never met a deportee in
person before, so many questions from the group regarded
day-to-day life in an internment camp. John was more
than happy to answer all questions, and despite his experiences during the war, proclaimed many times that
"America is the best country on earth". John's view is perhaps representative of the
wartime generation of Japanese-Amer icans
who
wanted to be seen for what
they were -- true Americans.
meaning and significance. Much of the
tour was spent reading and discussing
internment
camp
experience
poems
engraved on stone
markers.
Although this year's
hanamikai was not a
portable karaoke and Kirin party keg type of event, attendees were able to enjoy themselves through Portland
learning and the pleasure of having met John Nakada, a
living piece of history.
Auth or's
note:
JETAA
Portland
members wishing to
learn more about the
Japanese American
Historical
Plaza
should take part in
this year's rededication ceremony on
July 30 (Sat)
Likes: reading, Japan, tea and snacks, conversation.
Looking for:
JETAA Portland Book Club
The JETAA Portland book club meets once a month to discuss books about Japan or written by Japanese authors.
Kim Miyake at president@jetaaportland.com㩷
Got amazing content
to contribute?
Send stories, art, essays, pictures, ideas, comments,
opinions, etc.
newsletter@jetaaportland.com㩷
߃ߣ‫ޕޕޕ߃߃ޕޕޕߩ޽ޕޕޕ‬Japanese Getting Rusty…?
After the question-andanswer session, John then
gave the hanami-goers his
tour. Many in the group
mentioned that although
they had passed through
the plaza area many times,
they had not known its
Join us at the next J-Kaiwa!
First Fri every month @Hawthorne Lucky Lab 7-9PM
Jul 9 / Aug 6 / Sep 10
Come eat, drink, and brush up on that ‘ol Nihongo you used
to be so good at. Bring a friend!㩷
June 2010
| jetaaportland.com/newsletter |
䮡䯃䭿 7
By Daniel Mick㩷
What the Bunka?!㩷㩷 Japanese culture in detail
You can identify and eat its fishy flesh. But could you buy it whole at the fish market?㩷
A
B
C
J
N
K
O
L
P
Q
D
E
F
G
H
I
䮡䯃䭿 6
M
**Connect Japanese to English, then write the correct photo letter for each. Answers on p12.㩷
_____Aji (㟟)
Snapper
_____Awabi (㞟)
Skipjack Tuna
_____Buri/Hamachi (㠁)
Salmon
_____Hirame (ᐔ⋡, 㞓)
Surf Clam
_____Hokkigai (䊖䉾䉨⽴, ർነ⽴)
Abalone
_____Hotategai (Ꮤ┙⽴, ᶏᚸ)
Yellowtail/Amberjack
_____Iwashi (㠊)
Freshwater Eel
_____Kaki (‖ⰰ)
Sardine
_____Katsuo (㠑, 䈎䈧䈍)
Jack/Horse Mackerel
_____Kohada (ዊ㠈)
Spanish Mackerel
_____Maguro (㞮)
Flounder/Flatfish
_____Saba (㟋)
Scallop
_____Sake, Shake (㞱)
Gizzard Shad
_____Sanma (⑺ಷ㝼)
Pacific Saury/Mackerel Pike
_____Sawara (㟩)
Oyster
_____Tai (㟎)
Yellowfin Tuna
_M _Unagi (㠓)
Chub/Blue Mackerel
| jetaaportland.com/newsletter | June 2010
By Daniel Mick㩷
Tabemashou! 㘩ߴ߹ߒࠂ߁㧍Mar ‘10 Maki (Tigard)
Restaurant review group makes it Maki 㩷
Do you like Japanese food? Exploring
new restaurants? Sampling extensively from menus with others? Having
fun writing food reviews? And doing it
once a month? Well, the Tabemashou!
Chair position is open and needing
someone eager to take it on. Contact
Kimberly Miyake if you’re interested!
green beans (we had two orders);
Eringi, delectable butter-fried king
oyster mushrooms; Saba Miso,
grilled to perfection and covered
with a fantastic sauce; Tako
Karaage, non-tako lovers even
liked; and the quality of the sushi.
president@jetaaportland.com
Mixed review dishes were Zaru
Soba, noted by several to be refreshing and not common in most
Portland restaurants, but several
found it bland; Yakisoba, heavy on
the garlic and onions; and the Tofu
Salad, chunky style but plain.
Maki
A large turn out in Tigard made this a
great Tabemashou! since we got to
sample so many dishes! Opinions were
mixed on every dish and rating though
as is reflected in the akachochin ratings. Since the ratings are averaged it
becomes a little more subjective, but
I’m comfortable with the scores being
close to how I would have rated them
myself, as I have for past reviews.
Maki proves the rule again that the
more traditional establishments are in
the suburbs. I assume its because
there are more Japanese to support
them and fewer all-Japanese-food-issushi bandwagoner Americans to dilute menus. We all enjoyed the general
“authentic” vibe of the place.
Stand out dishes were the Poko Poko
Ingen, grilled but crisp garlic sesame
The most common complaints were
Rolls/Handrolls, tiny-tiny-tiny;
Hokke, exciting since it was izakaya natsukashi but was quite undercooked; and the Agedashi Tofu,
fried nicely but gummy inside.
While the group only drank beer, the
sake and shochu lists were healthy.
Everyone was excited by several
unique options on the menu but wishing there was more to it.
There were a handful of service issues
even with the group dining family
style. It is a small restaurant but
should maybe have two servers.
Finally, we were consistently surprised at the tiny portion sizes for the
prices. Maybe that’s where WE were
being silly Americans? But even the
nigiri cuts and sushi rolls would be
considered paltry in any other restaurant, in any country.
Menu Selection (3.6 avg)
Traditional but not US-dumbed-down.
Several unique dishes. Was slim in
several areas.
Food Quality (4.1 avg)
The food itself was outstanding; the
preparation was lacking sometimes.
Service (3.1 avg)
Only one server, several mistakes,
poor delivery timing.
Ambience (3.6 avg)
A pleasant blend of traditional Japanese décor and modern minimalist food
and nature themed art.
Value (2.7 avg)
“Good food but too little food for too
much money,” was the consensus.
㩷
㩷
㩷
Tabemashou! Overall Rating:㩷
߅޿ߒ޿޿޿޿
June 2010
| jetaaportland.com/newsletter |
䮡䯃䭿 9
By Daniel Mick㩷
Yuck!
You told us about the grossest foods in Japan…and the US!㩷
The theme of this issue of the newsletter has revolved
around food, lots of delicious food from the Iron Chef competition to Portland-made miso. But not all food is delectable, as many of us found while living in Japan.
If you have attended a JETAA Portland event in the last
several months you may have received this survey:
There were only three Japanese replies, but all listed
sweet foods. Most JETs can attest to the Japanese aversion to overly-sweet American treats.
Jin Nakamaru: Cake
Maki Weisman: Twizzlers (>_<;)!!
Tomoko O’Rourke: Root beer, Pumpkin Pie㩷
JET/”Foreigner”: What is the grossest food you ate in Japan? Circle or enter only one;
Umeboshi (pickled plum)
Basashi (raw horse)
Natto (fermented soybeans)
Shishamo (grilled pregnant smelt)
Konnyaku (potato jelly)
Uni (sea urchin)
Azuki (red bean paste)
Mochi (pounded rice cake)
Sakana no ikizukuri (live fish sashimi)
Other___________
ᣣᧄੱ䋺䉝䊜䊥䉦䈪㘩䈼䈖䈫䈏䈅䉎৻⇟᳇ᜬ䈤ᖡ䈇㘩䈼‛䈲૗䈪
䈜䈎䋿㩷
(Japanese national: What is the grossest food in the US?)
18 people replied, 15 JETs and 3 Japanese. The results
were decisive. The single grossest food in Japan is: UNI.
Though a delicacy throughout the world including Japan,
it seems we Americans simply don’t appreciate what a
treat the gonads of a bottom-dwelling spiny urchin are!
㩷
Results:
6 votes:
Uni (sea urchin)
3 votes:
Natto (fermented soybeans)
2 votes:
Horumon/Motsu nabe (intestines)
1 vote:
Azuki (red bean paste)
Shishamo (grilled pregnant smelt)
Umeboshi (pickled plum)
Basashi (raw horse)
Additional write-in votes:
Ankimo (monk fish liver)
Suzume (sparrow)
Konowata (pickled sea cucumber guts)
Hoya (sea pineapple/sea squirt)
What would YOU write-in?
Unfortunately, he survey did not ask to rank the top
three worst. That would have provided some interesting
results. Picking only one only indicates which is the
grossest, not how gross it is relative to the others. At 40%
of the votes uni is quite reviled though.
䮡䯃䭿 10
| jetaaportland.com/newsletter | June 2010
www.lifeaftertheboe.com
(Continued from page 1)
Sensei Sauce Competition
JETAA Portland and PNWJETAA went head to head competing with the secret ingredient Sensei Sauce, a product
that is made locally in the Sellwood neighborhood by R.
Jason Fortin-Luedtke. Sensei Sauce is an Asian sauce,
handmade in small batches using fresh healthy ingredients and is available at local grocery stores or online. Sensei Jason gave out bottles of their newest product, a gluten
free version of Sensei Sauce, for everyone that attended
the Iron Chef event.
Green Tea Sensei Sauce Ice Cream
Makes 4 Servings㩷
- 3 Egg Yolks
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 4 Tsp Sensei Sauce
- 200 ml Whole Milk
- 100 ml Heavy Cream (the kind for whipping)
- 2 Tsp Granulated Sugar for heavy cream
- 1 Cup Strong Green Tea (You can use either loose-leaf tea or teabags. We used teabags for simplicity sake, though we ended up with
about 5 teabags sitting in hot water. 1 1/2 Teaspoons green tea
leaves, with 250 ml boiled, not boiling, hot water. Let this sit for at
Leslie Siebert, last year’s Iron Chef main dish winner, repleast an hour in the refrigerator; we left it in the freezer and literally
resented JETAA Portland. She and her husband Paul,
had iced green tea.)
made delicious Asian style lettuce wraps with a filling of
chicken marinated and hand dipped in Sensei Sauce. Rep- If you have an ice cream maker, great. If you don’t you’ll need the
resenting PNWJETAA, Cheryl Hou and Leela Bilow pre- following items:
pared Green Tea Sensei Sauce Ice Cream (renamed - 2 Gallon-size ziploc bags
“Sensei Envy”).
- 2 plastic sandwich bags
- a good amount of salt (at least 2 cups)
Sensei Jason attended as the judge to declare this year’s - loose ice (enough to fill both gallon bags halfway)
winner. Although he loved the rich flavor of the lettuce - dishtowels
wraps, he was so intrigued by the delicious Sensei Envy
ice cream that he declared the PNWJETAA chapter as the Steps:
winners.
Mix the egg yolks with sugar and soy sauce until it’s a thick paste.
Add milk to the egg mixture and strain. Cook over very low heat,
We hope you’ll try some yourself! Here’s the recipe for Sen- stirring constantly with a wooden spatula until the mixture starts
sei Envy from PNWJETAA members Cheryl Hou and steaming and thickens slightly; we would recommend it be thick
enough to coat the spatula.
Leela Bilow:
Remove from heat and put pan in cold water. Let it sit for about
twenty minutes to cool down and thicken. Mix in cold green tea.
Ice Cream Maker
Process mixture in an ice cream maker until partially frozen. Add
heavy cream that has been whipped with sugar until soft peaks form.
Continue processing until the mixture hardens.
Do-It-Yourself, Or, The-Little-House-On-the-Prairie-Way
Mix in the heavy cream that has been whipped with sugar until soft
peaks form.
Evenly divide the liquid into the 2 sandwich bags. Seal tightly;
press each bag to make sure there aren’t any secret air holes where
the liquid ice cream can leak our, or more importantly, where the
salt water can seep in. Fill each of the gallon bags up 1/3 of the way
with ice and add about a cup of salt to each bag. Seal and shake so
the salt coats all the ice.
Seal up the ice bags with the ice cream sandwich bags inside and
carefully, start kneading the sandwich bags inside. The ice cream
will start to freeze within a few minutes, and the kneading will prevent ice crystals from forming (so it’ll end up less of a granita and
more of an ice cream!). Keep kneading! You’ll notice a significant
difference within ten minutes.
Now here’s the important part! In our first batch, we noticed a
strong garlic taste to the ice cream; but if you leave the ice cream in
the freezer over-night (as we did for our second and third batches),
and take it out the next day, the garlic mellows away into a soft,
salty-sweet accompaniment to the green tea. Quite tasty!㩷
June 2010
| jetaaportland.com/newsletter |
䮡䯃䭿 11
June 2010㩷
JETAA Portland
P.O. Box 8772
Portland, OR 97207
Fore!
Master’s Golf Tournament
Sunday, August 22nd
Compete for the Sugoi Green Jacket on the
McMenamin’s Edgefield course
(No skills needed, it’s a scramble!)㩷
Join the cool kids.
Get the JETAA Portland Newsletter
hardcopy mailed to your door.
You must opt-in to receive a copy
㩷
At the very bottom of every JETAA
email is a link to “Manage/Update”
Under “Additional Information” select
“Yes” for Mailed Newsletter and save㩷
Upcoming Events:
Visit www.jetaaportland.com for event details
Sat 06/19 Pre-Departure Orientation
Sat 06/19 Portland Taiko Ten Tiny Taiko Dances
Wed 07/07 ৾ᄕ, Tanabata/ᤊ⑂䉍, Hoshi Matsuri, Star Festival
7/7, 8/7, or 8/16 depending on custom/calendar
Fri 07/09 J-Kaiwa, 1900 @ Hawthorne Lucky Lab
Sun 07/11 Shokoukai Softball Tournament, 8-5PM
RSVP to Matt Turner: matthew@cgjpdx.org
Mon 07/12 Furoshiki Folding, 2PM @ World Trade Center
RSVP to culture@cgjpdx.org
Sat 07/17 Sayonara BBQ 1-5PM
See jetaaportland.com for details
Sun 07/18 Book Club, 1PM
Mon 07/19 ᶏ䈱ᣣ, Umi no Hi, Marine Day
Mon 07/26 ࿯↪ਊ䈱ᣣ, Doyo no Ushi no Hi, Midsummer
Day of the Ox/Unagi Day!
Fri 07/30 Japanese-American Historical Plaza
Rededication, volunteers needed by 07/15
See jetaaportland.com for details
~08/15
䈍⋆, Obon, Ancestor’s Day
Fri 08/06 J-Kaiwa, 1900 @ Hawthorne Lucky Lab
Wed 08/11 Obon Celebration @ Japanese Gardens
Aug 12-15 JETAA National Conference in NY
Sun 08/22 Master’s Golf Tournament @ Edgefield
Sun 08/30 Book Club, 1PM
Fri 09/10 J-Kaiwa, 1900 @ Hawthorne Lucky Lab
Mon 09/20 ᢘ⠧䈱ᣣ, Keirō no Hi, Respect for the Aged Day㩷
O.Aji (㟟): Jack/Horse Mackerel
H.Awabi (㞟): Abalone
N.Buri/Hamachi (㠁): Yellowtail
F.Hirame (ᐔ⋡, 㞓): Flounder/Flatfish
Q.Hokkigai ( ർነ⽴): Surf Clam
B.Hotategai (Ꮤ┙⽴, ᶏᚸ): Scallop
A.Iwashi (㠊): Sardine
K.Kaki (‖ⰰ): Oyster
I.Katsuo (㠑, 䈎䈧䈍): Skipjack Tuna
㩷
L.Kohada (ዊ㠈): Gizzard Shad
C.Maguro (㞮): Yellowfin Tuna
P.Saba (㟋): Chub/Blue mackerel
J.Sake, Shake (㞱): Salmon
G.Sanma (⑺ಷ㝼): Pacific Saury
E.Sawara (㟩): Spanish Mackerel
D.Tai (㟎): Snapper
M.Unagi (㠓): Freshwater Eel㩷